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In current orthopedic practice, sling devices to support the shoulder, forearm, wrist and hand following the occurence of an injury are worn with the forearm supported in an exterior position relative to, and typically separate from, the patient""s clothing. Such slings are typically equipped with numerous adjustable straps and buckles.
The present invention relates to an arm support garment with an integral arm sling pouch for comfortably supporting and immobilizing the upper extremity on either the inner or outer surfaces of the front of the garment. The sling pouch in the garment of the invention is accessed from the front exterior portion of the garment through vertical slits oriented in the garment material near each end of the pouch. Additional slits may also be provided to aid in ventilation and serve as additional access openings. The pouch is preferably made with an expandable inside layer to allow usage by individuals with different forearm sizes. A separate support pouch of this configuration can also be used with traditional arm slings.
The arm support garment, which is preferably in the form of a T-shirt or a vest, is generally made from a material, e.g., a heavy cotton, with limited stretch capacity to resist the deforming effect of the weight of the forearm on the material of the clothing. Alternatively, additional support can be provided on the inside of the garment in the form of sewn-in over-the-shoulder support straps.
With traditional arm slings, the entire weight of the upper extremity is supported by the neck. The arm support garment of the invention allows this weight to be spread throughout the garment so as to be distributed over the shoulders of the patient. Additionally, keeping the supported extremity on an inside pouch, as in this invention, supports the injured extremity close to the chest as is usually desired for optimum immobilization, e.g., after a shoulder dislocation. Overall application of this garment is easy, particularly by a patient with an injured extremity. It takes same effort as putting on a standard article of clothing as the supporting pouch needs none of the numerous straps and buckles of existing devices.